Sealing fastener for the floor plates of the tray of a bubble tower



March 6, 1951 E. D. RAPISARDA 2,544,614

SEALING FASTENER FOR THE FLOOR PLATES OF THE TRAY OF A BUBBLE TOWERFiled June 29, 1949 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EnwARDZZHAP/sARnA BY WeTTORN YS March 6, 1951 E. D. RAPISARDA 2,544,614

' SEALING FASTENER FOR THE FLOOR PLATES OF THE TRAY OF A BUBBLE TOWER 7Filed June 29, 1949 3 heets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EDWARD D. RAP/5A RDA BY MsATTORN YS March 6, 1951 E. D. RAPISARDA 2,544,614

SEALING; FASTENER FOR THE FLOOR PLATES OF THE TRAY OF A BUBBLE TOWER IFiled June 29, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 INVENTOR 10 ZDwAwflRAP/smm Z6 BYM w r ATTO EYS Patented Mar. 6, 1951 SEALING FASTENER FOR THE FLOOPLATES OF THE TRAY OF A BUBBLE TOWER Edward Rapisarda, Agawam, Mess,assignor to Gilbert & Barker Manufacturing Company, West Springfield,Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 29, 1949, SerialNo. 102,010

l' This invention relates to an improvement in the tray construction ofa bubble tower andi more particularly, to a fastener for overlapping theadjacent margins of two metallic floor plates of the tray and holdingthe plates to the underlying metallic floor supports in :a leak tightmanner.

The invention is particularly useful where there is a hole or a deeppocket between the adjacent edges of two floor plates For example, anend of one floor support lies in proximity to a side of another floorsupport but the two do not abut because :space must be left between themfor expansion. One of these two supports will be supported, as by anangle iron and bolt and slot connections, from the other support or, insome cases, from the wall ;of the bubble tower in a manner so as to befree to expand and contract. This angle iron may underlie the gapbetween the two floor supports but its top will a lie considerably belowthe top faces of the floor supports on which the floor plates rest,there- :by forming a deep pocket. In some cases, there may be a holeinstead of a pocket. The floor supports are sometimes trusses, or beamsor an 4 Claims. (Cl. 1-89-35) embodying the floor plate fasteners ofthis inannular ring fastened to the inner peripheral wall of the bubbletower. The invention provides a means for covering a pocket or hole,such as described, in leak-proof fashion and at the same time fasteningthe floor plates-to their supports in a manner such as to enableexpansion and contraction of the plates. v

The invention has for its object to provide a fastener for the purposedescribed, having a sealing member of thin pressed metal with marginaledges to engage the floor plates and elsewhere arched upwardly intocrowned formation, forming a recess to receive packing material, and .apacking retainer consisting of a thin flat plate to lie wholly withinthe recess in the sealing member, overlap the margins of two floor:plates and span the gap between them, and a bolt extending through themember and plate and the underlying floor support for drawing the memberandsupport together to compress the packing between the member and thinplate and force itzaround :all edges of the thin plate and also toyieldingly hold the floor plates to their supports in a manner to enableexpansion and contraction thereof. 1--; The invention will be disclosedwith reference to-the several illustrative examples in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

Fig. 1 :is a fragmentary top plan view of a tbubbletowershowin a bubbletray construction -2 located at different levels.

vention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view taken on the line 22of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the central truss andthe connections of the upper and. lower floor beams and floor platesthereto, such view being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and drawn to alarger scale;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 3,;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan showing the sealing fastenerconstruction used where the floor plates span the gap between the floorbeam and the annular ring on the shell of the tower;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5-;

- Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 'I1 of Fig. 4;

Fig. -8 is a top plan view of a sealing fastener for the floor plates,used where they span the gap between the upper end of the central trussand the ring on the shell of the tower;

Figs. 9 and 10 are sectional views taken on the lines 9--9 and l0--I0respectively, of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the sealing fastener for two floor platesused where they span the gap between the lower end of the truss and aring on the shell of the tower; and

Figs. 12 and 13 are sectional views taken on the lines l2-l 2 and I3I3,respectively, of Fig. 1-1.

Referring to these drawings; a portion of a bubble tower is shown inFig. 2 as an upstanding cylindrical shell I, having a plurality of traysEach tray is provided with the usual bubble caps 3. Gases rise throughthe bubble caps and are directed through liquid contained in the tray toa level determined by a dam 4, all in the usual manner. The liquidoverflowing each dam 4 passes through a downcomer 5 to the tray below.Only two trays have been shown but in practice there would be many more.The invention is not concerned with the functioning of the bubble towerin fraction ating hydrocarbon liquids but rather with a specialfastening and sealing means for the floor plates of a bubble tray.Therefore, the two trays shown will sufilce to illustrate theapplication of the invention v All parts of each tray are preferablyconstructed of some suitable non-corrosive metal, suchas stainless steelfor example.

The supports for the floor of each tray include a flat ring .6 suitablefastened, as by weldding from a side of truss 1 towar ring and theperipheral wall of shell I and suitably supported from such wall. Asshown herein, one tray is supported from the top of truss and another issupported from the bottom of the truss but in the same general manner."j

The truss, as shown, includes upper and lower flat plates 9 and I0,respectively. Fixed to the bottom of upper plate 9 are the horizontallegs of a pair of angle irons II and 'fi'x'ed. to and be-i tween thevertical legs of these angle ironsatn spaced intervals are a series ofgusset plates'l2p" The horizontal legs of a similar pair of angle ironsI3 are similarly fixed to the top of lower plate l0 and between thevertical legs of these angle irons at spaced intervals are a series ofgusset plates 4. The gusset plates l2 are staggered with respect to thegusset plates l4 and they are interconnected by diagonal angle irons l5.At the ends of the truss are-vertical Plates |6 which interconnect theangle irons H and |3. Theupper end of each plate fits between andissecured to the angle irons II and the lower end of each plate fitsbetween and is secured to'the angle irons IS. The ends of truss 1 reston seats l1, braced by gussets T8, both welded'to'the shell I, Abovethese seats, the vertical members H) are fastened by bolts |9 to 'plates2'9, which in turn are welded to shell I, these bolts as' indicatedpassing through horizontal slots in plates'29 to enable longitudinalexpansion and contraction of the truss.

7 Each floor support 8, as shown, is of modified angle iron section witha short vertical web 2| downturned from one edge of its upper horizontalleg 22 and a short horizontal web 23 outturned from the lower edge ofthe vertical leg 24.

The ends of each support 8 are supported by angle irons 25 and 26respectively secured, as by welding, to the shell I and to the angleirons H or l3, as the case may be, of truss I. The inner end of thehorizontal leg 22 of support 8 rests o'n a shim 21 on top of thehorizontal leg ofangle iron 26 and the vertical leg 24 of the support atits inner end abuts the vertical leg of angle iron 26. The outer end ofthe horizontal leg 22: of support 8 rests on the horizontal leg of angleiron 25 and its vertical leg abuts the vertical leg faces of the floorsupports for the lower tray,

that is ring 6, supports 8 and the horizontal legs of angle irons 13 oftruss I, are at the same level and support the floor plates 36' of thelower tray. These plates 29 (Fig. 1), except the two at the extremeleft, have parallel side edges and rest along their sides on top of thehorizontal legs 22 of a pair of supports 8. The inner ends of plates 29rest on top of the plate 9 of truss 1 and along their outer ends on-topof the ring 6%- The two end plates have a curved edge connecting astraight side and a straight end edge and such curved edge rests on ring6 while the side and end edges respectively rest on the leg 22 of asupport '8 and on plate 9 of truss 1. The parallel side edges of twoadjacent plates 29 are spaced apart and receive between them bolts 3|which through clamps 32 draw the plates against the supports 8. Eachplate 29 along its inner end edge is secured by bolts 33 which actthrough clamps 34 to hold the plates frictionally to plate Ill. Thecurved edges are held to ring 6 by bolts 35 and clamps 36. The lowerplates 30 are simi- ,larly held in place.

The fasteners, thus far described, may be of any suitable type. Theymay, for example, be of the type disclosed 'in, my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 76,675, filed February 16, 1949. However thespecial sealing fasteners of this invention are needed at the corners ofthe various fioor' plates 29and 3'0. These special'fasteners may be ofthe type shown in Figs. 3, 4', 5 and 6 for all corners of the floorplates 29 and 30 except those between the ends of the two end platesadjacent one end of truss 1. Here, a fastener such as shown in Figs. 8,9 and 10 is required for the upper end plates 29 and one such as shownin Figs. 11, 12 and 13 for the lower end plates 39.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be "seen that'the inner end of the floorsupport 8 is spaced from the side of the plate 9 of truss 1. Thehorizontal web of'angle iron 26 bridges the gap between such end andside but nevertheless there is left a deep pocket 39 which also extendslaterally in opposite directions (Fig. 4) beneath the floor plates 29. Athin plate 40, having a bolt hole therethrough, is provided to cover thepocket 39'. This plate is wide enough to overlap the adjacent edges ofthe two floor plates, which rest on support 8, and is longer than thegap. A crowned member 4|, with a bolt hole' therein, overliei's plate40. This member 4|, as shown, is roughly oval shape, as viewed in plan,and has a narrow endless marginal flat rim to engage the floor platesand elsewhere is arched upwardly in crown form to provide a recess toreceive packing 42. A bolt 43 passes through the holes in member 4!,cover 4|] and the horizontal leg of angle iron 26 and threads into a nut44, welded to said leg, whereby the marginal rim of member 4| may bedrawn against the floor plates 29 to yieldingly hold them in place onsupport 8 and also to' com press the packing 42. The plate 49 preventsthe packing from being forced into the pocket 39.

, This plate 40 is smaller than the base of the recess in member 4| andthe packing is pressed into the space between its outer margin and theinner margin of member 4| and pressed against the edges of member 49 andalso into thespace between the floor plates 29 on each side of gap 39. Aleak-tight seal is thus provided. I

In Fig. 6, the connection of the floor support 8 to the shell I isshown. Here there is a pocket 45 above the horizontal leg of angle iron25'and between the floor plates 29 and also a hole 46. The same fasteneris used here, the plate 40 covering pocket 45 and hole '46 and the'bolt43 and nut 44 serving to draw the crowned sealing member 4| against thefloor plates 29 and compress the packing 42 to make a leak-tight joint.

At one upper end of truss 1, the arrangement shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10is used. Here, there is a large hole 41 between the adjacent edges ofthe floor plates 29 and between one end of the truss I and ring 6. Apacking retaining plate 48' wide enough and longenough to cover thishole41 is used and this plate has two ears #9, restin on top of plate 9, oneon each side of its longitudinal center line and each having a bolt holetherethrough.- A sealing member 3 is drawn against the floor plates 29by bolts 53 and nuts 54, which are welded to the horizontal legs ofangle irons H. Each bolt passes through the registering holes in cars 49and 5|, through a slot 55 in a floor plate 29, through a hole in plate 9and the underlying angle iron I! and threads into its nut 54, wherebythe plates 29 may be drawn against plate 9 and the packing 52 compressedagainst p ate 48 and around its edges to provide a leak-tight joint.

For use at one lower end of truss l for fastening the floor plates 30 tothe horizontal legs of angle irons l3 a fastener, similar to that lastdescribed, is used except that it is centrally slotted to straddle theadjacent vertical part of the truss, which part is composed of plate I4and the vertical legs of the two angle irons l3. Parts of this fastener,which correspond with that last described, have been given the samereference numerals with the addition of a prime. When the member 43' isslotted as described and as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the vertical wall56 will abut the end of the composite vertical member of truss l and thetwo faces 5'! will abut the outer vertical faces of angle irons [3. Thepacking 52' in member .48, when compressed by tightening of bolts 53',will seal the joint between these faces 55 and 5! and the adjacent partsdescribed.

All the forms of the invention described utilize a crowned sealingmember having a flat, marginal rim for engaging the floor plates and,within the recess bounded by said rim, packing material, which isretained by a thin plate at the base of the recess and adapted to covera hole or pocket between two floor supports and provide a leak-tightjoint between the floor plates above the hole or pocket.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tray floor construction for a bubble tower, a pair of floorsupports located with an end of one in proximity to aside of the otherwith a space therebetween, a pair of th n metal floor plates resting onsaid supports, each plate having a marginal side portion resting on onesupport with two adjacent sides in spaced parallel relation and amarginal end portion resting on the other support, a thin flat plateoverlying said space and overlapping the side portions of said floorplates, a crowned seaing member having a marginal fiat rim to rest onsaid floor plates and surround the flat plate in spaced relation, saidmember elsewhere beng arched upwardly away from said rim forming arecess within the crowned portion of said member and above said thinplate, packing in said recess, and a bolt passing through the crownedpart of said member, the packing, said thin plate and through thefirst-named floor support for drawing the rim of said, member againstthe floor plates and compressing the packing, forcing it against saidthin plate and around its edges, to provide a leak tight closure I abovesaid space.

6 '2. In a floorconstruetion for a bubble tower, a pair of floorsupports located with one end of one in proximity to a side of the otherwith a gap between such end and side, the first-named support having aflat top member and a central vertical web beneath it, a pair of floorplates each having a marginal side portion restin on said member withthe two adjacent side edges in spaced parallel relation, said platesbridging said space and having ends resting on the second-named floorsupport, a thin flat plate overlapping the marginal side portions of thefloor plates where they span said gap and covering the top of thelatter, said thin plate having two ears both resting on said member oneon each side of said web, a crowned sealing member having ears andhaving a marginal flat rim to rest on the floor plates and surround saidthin plate and its ears, said member elsewhere being arched upwardlyaway from said rim into crowned formation forming a recess within thecrowned portion of said sealing member and above the thin plate, packingin said recess, and bolts one for each ear on said sealing member andextending through such ears and through the ears on the thin plate andthrough said first-named member one on each side of said web for drawingsaid rim against said plates and compressing the packing and forcing itagainst said thin plate and around its edges to provide a leak tightclosure above said gap.

3. In a floor construction for a bubble tower, a pair of floor supportslocated with one end of one in proximity to a side of the other with agap between such end and side, the first-named support having a flatbottom member and a web rising vertically from it between the sidesthereof, a pair of floor plates, each having a marginal side portionresting on said member one on each side of said web, said platesbridging said space and having ends resting on the second-named floorsupport, a thin flat plate overlapping the marginal side portions of thefloor plates where they span said gap and covering the top of thelatter, said thin plate having two cars both resting on said member oneon each side of said web, a crowned sealing member having ears andhaving a marginal flat rim to rest on the floor plates and surround saidthin plate and its ears, said sealing member elsewhere being archedupwardly away from said rim into crowned formation forming a recesswithin the crowned portion of said sealing member and above the thinplate, packing in said recess, and bolts one for each ear on said memberand extending through such ears and through the ears on the thin plateand through said first-named members for drawing said rim against saidfloor plates and compressing the packing on each side of said web,forcing it against said thin plate and around the edges thereof toprovide a leak tight closure above said gap. 7

4. In a floor construction for a bubble tower, a pair of floor supportslocated with one end of one in proximity-to a side of the other with agap between such end and side, the first-named support having a flatbottom member and a web rising vertically from it between the sidesthereof, a pair of floor plates each having a marginal side portionresting on said member one on each side of said web, said floor platesbridging said space and having ends resting on the secondnamed floorsupport, a thin flat plate overlapping the marginal side portions of thefloor plates where they span said gap and covering the top of thelatter, said thin plate having two ears both resting on said member oneon each side of said web, a crowned sealing member having ears andhaving a marginal flat rim to rest on the floor plates and surround saidthin plate and its ears, said member elsewhere being arched upwardlyaway from said rim into crowned formation forming a recess within thecrowned portion of said member and above the thin plate, said sealingplate being slotted between its ears to straddle said vertical web,packing in said recess, and bolts-one for each ear on-said member andextending through such ears and through the ears on the thin plate andthrough said first-named member for drawing said rim against said floorplates compressing the packing and forcing it against said thin plateand around the edges thereof to provide a leak tight closure above saidgap.

' EDWARD D. RAPISARDA.

No references cited.

